Monorail system

ABSTRACT

A monorail car is suspended from pneumatic tired wheels riding on the rail. The rail comprises a plurality of tubes secured spaced apart by web members secured thereto at spaced intervals along the rail. A pair of upper tubes are spaced horizontally and have downwardly and inwardly sloped top surfaces on which the sides of the tire treads rest. Low-friction pads on either side of a lower tube are attached to the car and can slide along the side of the lower tube to prevent side sway. A heated or cooled liquid or gas may be pumped through each of the tubes so expansion joints are not needed.

O United States Patent l 3,593,666

- [72] Inven r Phi lip D- sllvflge 1,067,725 7/1913 Flugger r 104/94 Malone, N.Y. 2,061,857 11/1936 Spurrier 104/93 [21] Appl. No. 866,571 2,302,196 11/1942 Downsm. 104/89 [22] F le Oct-15.1969 3,244,113 4/1966 Smyserm 104/112 [45] Pfllfimcd J y 1971 3,456,597 7/1969 .lacksn.. 105/150 1 1 Assignee Hall Skiiift p y- 3,457,876 7/1969 Holden, 104/89 waleflown, 2,242,329 /1941 Saulson .1 238/134 Primary ExaminerArthur L. La Point Assistant ExaminerD. W. Keen 54 MONORAIL SYSTEM Attorney-Bruns and Jenney 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 104/89, ABSTRACT; A monorail car is suspended f m pneumatic 104/ m6, 238/135 tired wheels riding on the rail. The rail comprises a plurality of [51] Int. Cl B6lb 3/00, tubes Secured spaced apart by web members Secured thereto Eolb /22 at spaced intervals along the rail. A pair of upper tubes are Field of Search 104/89, 93, spaced horizontally and have downwardly and inward|y sloped 94,951 1 l2; IDS/150 1554 238/04 top surfaces on which the sides of the tire treads rest. Low- Reierences Cited friction pads on either side of a lower tube are attached to the car and can slide along the side of the lower tube to prevent UNITED STATES PATENTS side sway. A heated or cooled liquid or gas may be pumped 293,451 2/1884 Grosscup /155 through each of the tubes so expansion joints are not needed.

t is 1 /"1 PATENTEDJULZOIQII 3.693; 666

sum 3 [1F 3 INVENTOR. PHILLIP DSAVAGE This invention relates to overhead monorail more particularly, to a system where a plurality of spaced tubes, tied together at intervals, form the track and cooperate with pneumatic-tired wheels to support the cars or gondolas.

Many monorail systems are known, some with cars above the rail, others suspended from cables or from solid track members. Most of the latter systems contemplate high speed transportation and, although some have rails with a plurality of parts, the rails are solid and require expansion joints to allow for expansion and contraction due to weather'changes.

Monorail cars with pneumatic-tired wheels are known but such cars usually require heavy side rails to keep the wheels centered on the track. Also known monorail cars suspended from an overhead rail or cable are subject to sidesway or must have side rails contacted by vertical-axis, sway-preventing wheels running therealong and attached to the car.

systems and,

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The monorail of the present invention is an overhead rail and from it are suspended personnel carrying cars which run at low speeds, typically miles per hour, for carrying passengers at airports, amusement parks, ski resorts and other places where traffic is congested, the automobile parking lot is at a distance from the amusement area, or wherever a great number of people must be moved for comparatively short distances which are beyond convenient walking distance.

The composite rail comprises a plurality of tubular members secured together in spaced relation at spaced intervals along the tracks. The spaced tubes include at leastone lower tube for strength and a pair of upper tubes having upper surfaces which slope downward and toward .the other tubeof the pair.

The spaced tubes allow snow-and rain to fall therebetween and the tubes mayhave hot liquid or gas pumped therethrough in winter to melt snow and icencooled fluid may be pumped therethrough in summer so that expansion joints need not be provided between tube or track sections. Moreoventhe hollow tubes, three or four in number, secured together at intervals provide a lightweight rail stronger than even much heavier solid rails and permit the supporting towers to be spaced farther apart than is possible with the heavier solid rails.

The cars are supported from low pressure pneumatic tired wheels which make for a quiet and bump-free ride. The tires run on the inclined upper surface of the upper pair of tubes, the tires being wider than the space between the tubes. The sides of the tire treads thus ride on the inclined surfaces and confonn to the shape of the top of the tubes. This also results in a pinching of the tire between the upper tubes resulting,

not only in centering the tire between the tubes, but also in a sliding action of the bottom of the tire against the tube surfaces which aids in freeing the surfaces from snowand'rain.

Since overhead monorail cars tendto sway in the wind or in traveling around curves, sliding pads, made of polyeth .lene, nylon or some other low friction material are provided on the car adapted to contact and slide along the sides of the-one or two lower tubes when the car swaysvBrake pads are also provided with means for pinching the padsagainst the lower tube sides to slow or stop movement of the car along the rail.

Like other tower supported rail or cable systems, a rail may be provided on each side of the towers, at the same or different levels, for travel in the same oropposite directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS end elevation thereoffthe track being FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the embodiment of track shown in FIG. 2 and the tired wheel thereon;

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views of other embodiments oftrack according to the invention; and

FIG. b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another embodiment oftrack used with a dual tired wheel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 a car It) is suspended from a composite rail 11, supported on arms 12 extending laterally from towers 133.

The car I0 is supported by pneumatic tired wheels 15 mounted on suitable axles on the trucks or bogies I6. Support members I7 extend from the bogies 16 around the side of the rail 11 to the car I0 in conventional manner.

Motors 18, shown as hydraulic motors, drive each of the wheels 15 and are mounted on the bogie 16. The motors 18 are powered and controlled from the car I0, hydraulic connections on or in the support member 17 not being shown. Alternatively motors 18 can be electric motors powered by trol ley wires support on the arms I2 of the towers.

Other cars without motors 18 may be towed behind the car 10 in conventional manner.

The tires 20 on wheels 15 are low-pressure tires of unusual width compared to their diameter and are readily obtainable as agricultural implement tires. The tires shown in FIGS. 1,2 3 and 8 are substantially 1] inches in width and 30 inches in diameter. I

The composite rail 11 comprises a pair of rectangular, here square, upper tubes 21 and a single circular lower tube 22. The tubes 21 are shown 6 inches wide and tube 22 6 inches in diameter. Typically the tubes 21 and 22 have a wall thickness of one-fourth inch but tubes with a greater wall thickness are readily obtainable where rail strength requirements are greater.

At substantially 8 foot intervals along the track 11, the tubes 21 and 22 are secured in spaced relation by platelike webs or diaphragms 24, as shown, secured to the tubes as by welding. The tubes 21 are spaced apart on I] inch centers and their inner and upper surfaces are disposed at substantially a 40 angle to the horizontal so that the upper surfaces slope downward and inward of the rail. The lower tube 22 is spaced below the tubes 21 at a greater spacing for giving the rail greater strength.

It will be understood that portions of track 11 may be curved at any desired radius and may be suitably banked. Tube mills are currently equipped to roll the square tubes on any curve or banked angle desired.

As shown in FIG. 2, pads 25 and 26 are secured to the lower end of member 17 and to the car lll so as to be normally spaced a small distance from the tube 22 on either side. The pads 25 and 26 are curved to conform to the outside curvature of tube 22 and are of polyethylene or nylon or some other lowfriction material was to be adapted to contact and slide along the sides of tube 22 if the car 10 sways because of wind or some other cause. Pad 25, or another pad of wear resistant material, may be movable toward tube 22 by hydraulic or other means to act as a brake. This is indicated by a return spring 27 in FIG. 2. When pad 25, or other brake pad, moves against the tube 22 the latter is pinched between the brake pad and pad 26 to slow or stop the car 10.

In FIG. 4, a modified form of track 30 is shown having square upper tubes 31, 31 and a square lower tube 32, the tubes being secured in spaced relation by the web 33.

In FIG. 5, another modified form of track 35 is shown having square upper tubes 36 and a pair ofspaced circular lower tubes 37. A web 38 secures the tubes together in spaced relation. With this form of track the pads 25 and 26 are spaced apart a greater distance and, preferably, contact the outer sides of the tubes 37.

In FIG. 6, another modified form of track 40 is shown. The lower tubes 42 as well as the upper tubes. 41 are square and the tubes are secured together by the web 43. With this form of track the pads 25 and 26 of the car are V-shaped in cross section to conform to the outer sides of the lower tubes 42.

In FIG. 7, another modified form of composite track 45 is shown having a pair of circular upper tubes 46 and a circular lower tube 47 secured together by the web 48. With this form of track, the tires 20 of the car assume a concave shape at their sides where the tire comes into contact with the curved upper surfaces of the tubes 46, 46.

In FIG. 8, still another modified form of track 50 is shown which is adapted to be used with a pair of tires 20 contiguously mounted side by side, as shown, on a dual wheel, not shown. The square upper tubes 51 are spaced farther apart than those in track 30 and the square lower tube 52 is also spaced farther downward by the web 53. Obviously, the tube arrangements of rails 11, 35, 40 or 45, similarly modified, can be used with the dual tire arrangement.

lclaim:

1. A wheel and track combination for use in an overhead monorail system, the wheels having low pressure pneumatic tires and the rail comprising a plurality of parallel spacedapart tubes including an upper pair of tubes spaced horizontally and at least one lower tube, the rail having web members securing the tubes together at spaced intervals along the rail, the upper tubes having spaced upper surfaces defining a fragmentary trough having downwardly converging sides to center the tired wheels on the rail, each tired wheel being wider than the distance between the upper pair of tubes and each wheel tire having sufficiently low pressure to be deformed by its pressure against the rail, whereby the rail-contacting portions of the tires are deformed between the upper tubes and conform to the shape of the upper surface of the upper tube at either side.

2. The wheel and track combination defined in claim 1 wherein each wheel has asingle pneumatic tire mounted thereon.

3. The Wheel and track combination defined in claim 1 wherein each wheel is a double wheel having a pair of pneu matic tires mounted thereon contiguously side by side.

41. The wheel and track combination defined in claim 1 wherein theupper pair of tubes are rectangular and are arranged each having a flat side at the top inclined downward and toward the other tube of the pair v M 5. A monorail system having a tower-supported rail, a car pendently supported by support members from bogies, each bogie having at least one rail-supported pneumatic-tired wheel rotatably secured thereto, and motor means on at least one bogie for driving a wheel, the rail comprising a plurality of spaced-apart tubes including an upper pair of tubes spaced substantially horizontally and at least one lower tube, the tubes having web members secured thereto at spaced intervals along the rail for securing the tubes in spaced relation, each tube of the upper pair having an upper surface sloping downward and toward the other tube, the wheel tires having low air pressure and being defon'nable by the contacted rail tubes, and the tired wheels each being wider than the distance between the upper pair of tubes, whereby the tires of the wheels are supported on either side by the upper tube sloping surfaces and centered between the upper pair of tubes by the sloped upper surfaces of the upper pair of tubes.

6. The monorail system defined in claim 5 wherein the car has sway pad means of low friction material secured thereto adapted to contact and slide along the side of a lower tube of the rail to prevent side sway of the car. 

1. A wheel and track combination for use in an overhead monorail system, the wheels having low pressure pneumatic tires and the rail comprising a plurality of parallel spaced-apart tubes including an upper pair of tubes spaced horizontally and at least one lower tube, the rail having web members securing the tubes together at spaced intervals along the rail, the upper tubes having spaced upper surfaces defining a fragmentary trough having downwardly converging sides to center the tired wheels on the rail, each tired wheel being wider than the distance between the upper pair of tubes and each wheel tire having sufficiently low pressure to be deformed by its pressure against the rail, whereby the rail-contacting portions of the tires are deformed between the upper tubes and conform to the shape of the upper surface of the upper tube at either side.
 2. The wheel and track combination defined in claim 1 wherein each wheel has a single pneumatic tire mounted thereon.
 3. The wheel and track combination defined in claim 1 wherein each wheel is a double wheel having a pair of pneumatic tires mounted thereon contiguously side by side.
 4. The wheel and track combination defined in claim 1 wherein the upper pair of tubes are rectangular and are arranged each having a flat side at the top inclined downward and toward the other tube of the pair.
 5. A monorail system having a tower-supported rail, a car pendently supported by support members from bogies, each bogie having at least one rail-supported pneumatic-tired wheel rotatably secured thereto, and motor means on at least one bogie for driving a wheel, the rail comprising a plurality of spaced-apart tubes including an upper pair of tubes spaced substantially horizontally and at least one lower tube, the tubes having web members secured thereto at spaced intervals along the rail for securing the tubeS in spaced relation, each tube of the upper pair having an upper surface sloping downward and toward the other tube, the wheel tires having low air pressure and being deformable by the contacted rail tubes, and the tired wheels each being wider than the distance between the upper pair of tubes, whereby the tires of the wheels are supported on either side by the upper tube sloping surfaces and centered between the upper pair of tubes by the sloped upper surfaces of the upper pair of tubes.
 6. The monorail system defined in claim 5 wherein the car has sway pad means of low friction material secured thereto adapted to contact and slide along the side of a lower tube of the rail to prevent side sway of the car. 